The WHL announced that it would adopt many of the new rules put in place by the NHL this season to increase scoring. They are:

Shootouts: Ties no longer count in the standings, and are replaced with the shootout. Shootout losses will count as one point in the standings.

Tighter standard of officiating, especially as it relates to obstruction fouls.

Goaltender restriction zone or the "trapezoid", will be employed. Goaltenders will be forbidden from playing the puck in the corners behind the goal line. A violation will merit a two minute delay of game penalty.

The centre ice red line will no longer be considered for the purpose of determining an offside (two-line) pass.

Any player who shoots the puck over the glass and out of play from their defensive zone will receive a delay of game penalty.

Any team called for icing the puck from within their defensive zone will not be permitted a line change. Unlike the NHL, any team that ices the puck from their half of the neutral zone will be permitted to change.

It is worth noting that the WHL did not move the goal and blue lines to increase the size of the offensive zones like the NHL, as the league felt that the teams did not have enough time to modify their arenas. Thus, only the Calgary Hitmen, who share an arena with the Calgary Flames play using the new alignment. The new standard will be employed by the remaining teams beginning in 2006–07.